August 21, 2014

The Video of the Killing of Kajieme Powell and the Killing of Michael Brown

My reaction to this screen shot? (…I’m not sure now if it was before or after watching the videos, the first of Kajieme Powell shoplifting and the second, of his killing, plain as day, by white St. Louis police officers.)

First I felt completely sick, and ashamed.

Then I thought, don’t let people label this a freak coincidence considering how tweaked St. Louis police must be over the anger in the streets in Ferguson.

Next, maybe there’s some procedure I don’t know about, but like you heard from the man in the background, all in his tone: what crushing insult to grievous injury witnessing the handcuffing of a corpse.

Last, could this visual be any more powerful perceptually in considering what could have happened to Michael Brown? If the justification for his shooting is that “he rushed” the officer, how hard is it to imagine Powell (without the visual documentation), as he also moved forward, a kitchen knife in his pocket, earning the same description?